New York launches criminal probe into Trump Organisation – follow live

Joe Biden’s commission to study potential changes to the US Supreme Court, including expanding the number of justices, is set to hold its first public meeting on Wednesday.

The president signed an executive order last month to create the 36-member commission to consider big changes to the nation’s top judicial body – including expanding beyond the current nine justices or applying term limits instead of lifetime appointments.

The court has a 6-3 conservative majority after Donald Trump made three appointments during four years in office.

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow reacted to the news of the New York probe into the Trump Organisation by saying the criminal investigation would become the “centre of Trump’s universe”.

Top commentator Timothy L. O’Brien thinks Donald Trump and his associates may struggle to “outmanoeuvre” the criminal investigations launched by the New York attorney general Letitia James and Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.

“James wouldn’t have converted her case into a criminal prosecution unless she believes she has convincing evidence demonstrating intent,” he writes in Bloomberg.

He says the Trump organisation’s chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg may come under pressure to testify against Trump.

“If James and Vance continue to pressure Weisselberg, and his own legal exposure worsens, he may end up testifying against the former president.”

House minority leader Kevin McCarthy has said he won’t support a proposal to form an independent commission to study January’s deadly insurrection at the US Capitol, ahead of today’s big vote on the issue.

Calling the commission “potentially counterproductive,” the Republican said he wanted any panel to look beyond the violent uprising by supporters loyal to Donald Trump.

McCarthy and other Republicans – including Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell – have pushed to have the new commission also investigate other violent acts, including protests last summer in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.

Former acting solicitor general Neal Katyal says Donald Trump, his associates and family are facing a very serious legal threat.

“What this letter is saying is that prosecutors believe that there is a strong reason to think that the Trump Organisation committed various crimes,” Katyal told MSNBC on the New York attorney general’s criminal investigation statement.

“It’s not some statement from Nancy Pelosi or Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. It’s not even a Supreme Court loss, of which Trump had many, or a civil fine, of which Trump has paid many. This is a letter talking about jail time.”

Russia hopes to decide soon about a potential summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, the RIA news agency cited a Russian deputy foreign minister as saying on Wednesday.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov were expected to hold talks on Wednesday night, amid a push to agree a presidential summit.

The Kremlin will consider the “behaviour” of the US before deciding whether to agree to the meeting, according to RIA. The Biden administration is hoping to improve dire ties with the former Cold War foe.

The New York attorney general’s office has suggested its criminal investigations into the Trump Organisation will be done in conjunction by the Manhattan district attorney’s office – which has been probing the business empire for two years. So what has district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. been looking at?

– Investigators having been looking at whether the Trump organisation inflated property values to obtain loans and lowered values to reduce its taxes.

– Investigators have deposed chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg and other Trump officials as part of their inquiries – including Eric Trump.

– Investigators have been examining financial dealings at several Trump properties – including Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago, Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.

Donald Trump is yet to respond to the big news on New York’s criminal investigation. But he has urged Republicans to not support the creation of a 9/11-style commission for investigating the US Capitol attack.

The House today votes on the Democratic-backed proposal, which would see a committee investigate Trump’s role in spurring on the riots.

“Republicans in the House and Senate should not approve the Democrat trap of the January 6 Commission,” the statement from Trump said.

“It is just more partisan unfairness and unless the murders, riots, and fire bombings in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, and New York are also going to be studied, this discussion should be ended immediately,” he said.

Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen responded to the big news about New York’s criminal investigation by sharing a photoshopped photo of his old boss behind bars.

“As more documents are reviewed by the NYAG and NYDA, it appears that the troubles for Donald Trump just keep on coming! Soon enough, Donald and Associates will be held responsible for their actions,” Cohen told Reuters in a text message on Tuesday night.

Cohen has already been interviewed by the Manhattan district attorney’s investigators, sources have said.

The US Senate primary in Ohio is still a year away, but Republican contenders already are working furiously to cast themselves as Trump’s favourite in the open race.

Ohio’s Democratic US senator Sherrod Brown said: “The five Republican candidates for Senate are like kids on a playground sticking their tongue out and saying Donald Trump loves me more than he loves you,” he said.

More on the Trump-loving contenders here: